Special Education and Teaching at University of Maine at Farmington

UMaine Farmington's special education program carries an important asterisk: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers might not tell the full story. That said, the $39,458 starting salary falls short of the $44,139 national median for special education teachers, landing in just the 20th percentile nationally. However, within Maine—where only two schools offer this specific program—these graduates actually match the state median, putting them at the 60th percentile locally. The $27,000 debt load is manageable, translating to a 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio that's better than many education programs nationwide.

Here's the practical reality: special education teachers face a known challenge across the country—modest starting salaries relative to the cost of training. This program follows that pattern, though the debt burden here is reasonable compared to peers. For families planning to stay in Maine, where these graduates perform at or above the state median, the value proposition looks more defensible than the national ranking suggests. The key question is whether your child is committed to special education specifically, as switching careers later would make that debt harder to justify on this salary.

The small sample size means a few outliers could skew these figures significantly, so visit campus and ask about recent placement rates and typical employer districts to get a clearer picture beyond what these numbers alone reveal.